It hasn’t been an easy year for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, but it has been a record-making one.
In February came the long-awaited moment when he surpassed Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading career scorer. Earlier in the season, he surpassed another Lakers great in Magic Johnson on the all-time assists list, and he ended the regular season fourth on that list.
Until recently, it looked like he had attained these marks without any team success to go along with them. But then the Lakers made a series of trades prior to the trade deadline, and since then, they have gradually looked like a gathering storm.
On Friday, they shoved aside the defending world champion Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, 122-101, with James leading the way by posting 30 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Their season is now taking on the feel of a miracle, as they’re now one of the league’s final four.
It was the 41st playoff series James has won, which moved him into first place on that list ahead of yet another Laker in Derek Fisher.
LeBron has now won 41 Playoff series in his career.
41 — LeBron James**
40 — Derek Fisher
39 — Robert Horry
37 — K. Abdul-Jabbar
35 — Tim Duncan
33 — Kobe Bryant
33 — Scottie PippenThe MOST IN NBA HISTORY 🐐 pic.twitter.com/npqUWE1G39
— LeBron Muse (@BronMuse) May 13, 2023
Of course, given how sensitive James is about his legacy and how the public perceives him, as well as the respect he feels entitled to, he won’t be satisfied with how this year has gone unless he wins his 43rd playoff series in the next several weeks.
That, of course, would give him his fifth championship ring.
